Tottenham keen to finish fifth to avoid Europa League aggro

Heurelho Gomes, pictured being beaten by Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League quarter-finals, was given qualified support by the Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

Harry Redknapp has an answer for anyone who fears that Tottenham Hotspur's ambivalence towards the Europa League could give Birmingham City, who play at White Hart Lane on Sunday, a vital edge in the relegation battle. The answer is that Tottenham will be determined to win and secure fifth place because failure to do so risks sabotaging their plans for the summer and beyond.

Redknapp's worry is that if Tottenham do not finish fifth they will end up in the Europa League anyway, and with a much more onerous schedule. That is because England has been awarded an additional place in the tournament due to English clubs' good disciplinary record this season and the place will be assigned to the team that tops the Premier League 'fair play' table. Given that Chelsea occupy that spot and are already in the Champions League, the next best, either Tottenham or Fulham, will inherit the spot.

Whichever team qualifies by that route must begin their campaign in the first preliminary round, which kicks off in late June, a month before the campaign of the team that qualifies by finishing fifth. Erring against Birmingham could therefore disrupt Tottenham's pre-season plans and jeopardise a tour to South Africa. "Our preparations for next season are all up in the air at the moment," said Redknapp. "We don't want to be in the fair play thing because we'd be back playing in June, so even our pre-season would get messed up. We're off to South Africa in the summer and I don't know what would happen with that."

Redknapp also wants as much time as possible this summer to recruit players. His priority is at least one striker plus "one or two strong characters" with experience of the Premier League. Many Tottenham supporters would also like him to buy a new goalkeeper in light of Heurelho Gomes's many costly errors this season but, publicly at least, the manager insists he retains full confidence in the Brazilian. "I think he's made saves that he's had no right to make, some incredible saves that only a keeper of his quality could make," said Redknapp. "Sometimes things happen with goalkeepers. Look at the Schalke goalkeeper [Manuel Neuer], who everyone in the world is trying to buy – he made mistakes against Manchester United [in the Champions League semi-final second leg] that you would not have seen in lower league football. It happens to all 'keepers."

Rumours persist, nevertheless, that Redknapp has been looking for replacements and he was vague when asked about reported interest in Birmingham's Ben Foster and Manchester City's Shay Given. His reply to suggestions that he was keen on signing Brad Friedel, whose contract at Aston Villa expires in the summer, was intriguing. "He's a very good keeper, but there are a few clubs in for him. Liverpool are in for him, West Brom too. It's interesting. We'll have to see where we go."

Only Liverpool can deny Tottenham a place in the Europa League and their manager, Kenny Dalglish, is already focusing on improvements he can make to the team over the summer.

"I don't think we need to reflect, I think we need to sit down and have conversations with people we trust both for their integrity and judgment in football," he said. "We could sit and reflect but we know most of the answers now."

Dalglish joked that signing a three-year-contract last week had not done him any favours in terms of results, having lost to Tottenham last Sunday.

And he said it was not evenmuch benefit in terms of helping the club move forward as plans had already been put in place for next season before his position was confirmed. "The planning was going on anyway, irrespective of who was coming in because you can't leave it until the last minute," he added.

"For training and some of the pre-season matches, planning had to be done. "If you're sitting in this chair you've got to make the decision about what you want to do and when you want to train.But regarding players, there's only one person who can decide that, and that's the manager.

"That's something we need to come to terms with and get our skates on with to make sure we get to the right players."

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